Raven – ExtermiNation


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If Armored Saint’s new album, Win Hands Down (Metal Blade) taught us anything, it’s that you don’t need to reinvent the wheel or ignore your legacy to make a good album. Despite having been going since the mid-seventies, British NWOBHM crew Raven still know how to crank out an energetic slab of rock.

ExtermiNation (SPV/Steamhammer) is the 80s speed metal veterans’ 13th album and one they funded through Kickstarter late last year. The band, consisting of Gallagher brothers John and Mark [Bass/vocals and guitar respectively] plus drummer Joe Hasselvander do a good job of defying their years and combine plenty of energy with “shove in as many riffs as possible” approach to song writing.

On their Kickstarter page, the band billed ExtermiNation as “the best Raven album yet.” That might be a stretch for any band with such a lengthy legacy, but it’s definitely a raucous ride. There’s plenty of pounding drums, squealing guitars and crowd-pleasing sing along moments. Raven’s ability to mesh those Megadeth-esque speed metal moments with the more mid-paced NWOBHM chugging and even borderline AOR melody is probably their strongest asset. Not of it is particularly aggressive – it’s more fists in the air than fist to the face – but they know how to craft a few good tunes.

‘Thunder Down Under’ mixes AC/DC groove with beefed up rock, while the likes of ‘No Surrender’ and ‘Battle March/Tank Treads (The Blood Runs Red)’ and have a classic Iron Maiden style regard to squealing guitar leads. Gallagher’s vocals range from a simple shout right through to the kind of falsetto more suited to (now defunct) 3 Inches of Blood – and might be the strongest but suit the band’s rough around the edges sound. The more ballad/melody-oriented songs drag on and there are times when it all gets a bit too hackneyed, but the whole it’s a surprisingly enjoyable listen.

As many imitators as the whole NWOBHM scene as, there’s a reason the original acts are still seen as the best. Few bands can combine that energy, catchiness and ability to make you smile. It’s not big, clever, or anything we haven’t heard a thousand times elsewhere, but ExtermiNation is a simple and enjoyable slice of good time rock that harks back to metal’s heyday.

 

7.0/10

Raven on Facebook

 

DAN SWINHOE


Pyrrhon – Growth Without End EP


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I’ve got a confession to make – I’ve never really understood EPs in Metal. On paper I can see the value of a short, sample-length exploration of a band’s sound, but Metal is such a grandiose, overblown and thoroughly unsubtle discipline that it seems to demand nothing less than albums to sprawl across.  Double albums. Surely forcing any band who aren’t Slayer to record less than thirty minutes of material is restricting their creativity and turning them into a boy-band?

Apparently not.

Following up their 2014’s staggering Mother Of Virtues (Relapse) – which, in a just world, would have topped a lot more Album Of The Year lists than it did – Growth Without End (Handshake Inc.) develops their distinctive blend of abstract Death Metal, Starkweather-style Hardcore and early Dillinger Escape Plan by sharpening it down to a razor-sharp point.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about Growth Without End is how it seems to squeeze all the depth and scope of Mother Of Virtues into a fraction of the running time. It lasts for under twenty minutes, but leaves you feeling like you’ve endured an album’s worth of beating.  It’s as if – crude journalistic analogy alert – they’ve trimmed all of the fat from their compositions, leaving behind exactly what they need to make their point and not a second of indulgence. The economy and directness of the best Grind married to Pyrrhon’s range of influences and moods to make one of the most simultaneously focused and diverse Metal records you’ll hear this year.

Last year, vocalist Doug Moore went to lengths to discuss why the band should not be described as “freeform”, and though it was intended as a compliment to the band’s unpredictable and unconventional song-structures, Growth Without End can help you to understand why – there is not a moment on here that is not utterly deliberate and precise, rehearsed to the point of almost inhuman tightness.

Pyrrhon are – with absolutely no hyperbole – one of the most exciting Extreme Metal bands in the world right now, and Growth Without End is both the perfect next step for their existing fans and an excellent introduction for the uninitiated.

Genuinely recommended without reservation.

 

9.0/10

Pyrrhon on Facebook

 

RICHIE HR


Light The Fire – Lost At Sea


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It can be difficult to assign one specific genre to a band nowadays as there are so many subgenres, but Light The Fire have decided to make it easier for potential listeners, describing themselves as “Post-Hardcore Southern Techno Metalcore Djent”. Although this may sound overwhelming, the Dallas-based quintet are slowly but surely building up a steady fan base, mainly due to their busy touring schedule.

Opening track ‘#idoitfortheratchets’ should make the listener instantly intrigued; however, it does quite the opposite. The generic metalcore riffs drown out the screaming vocals, making it almost impossible to hear what vocalist Jeff Gunter is actually talking about. The electronic/synth addition makes the track sound almost disorganised, which would not appeal to most diehard metal music fans.

After such an underwhelming start, Lost At Sea (Standby) manages to pick up the pace around track number three, entitled ‘Frienemy’. The heavy riffs and harsh screaming vocals merge seamlessly, and it is difficult to understand why they did not choose to open the album with a stronger track, such as this one. The energetic music is almost contagious, and it would be interesting to see how Light The Fire would perform at a live show.

It is hard to describe this album as anything other than hit and miss. Some of the tracks are full of life and energy, making you want to hear more from Light The Fire, however, other sounds sound like a disorganised electronic mess. It is difficult to understand why ‘electronic metalcore’ seems to be so popular recently; however, if you are a fan of experimental music Light The Fire may be right up your street.

 

5.0/10

Light The Fire on Facebook

 

JULIA CONOPO


Babymetal – Baby Metal


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Sometimes, perspective and a second chance can make all the difference.  When the world was first introduced to Babymetal (Sony Music) in 2014, those parts of it that are likely to use the phrase “true Metal warrior” non-ironically exploded in a whirlwind of tears and finger-pointing, accusing the band and their fans of essentially betraying Metal in one of the most hysterical displays of Heavy Metal siege-mentality since… well, the last one. Even on the internet tantrums die down quickly, however, and with the benefit of a year’s distance and the vocal support of respected Metal figures like Kerry King and Jeff Walker, the hysterical crying has settled enough to allow us to ignore the controversy and look at the actual music.

Which is fortunate, because as it turns out the music on Babymetal is fantastic.

This is an unashamed Pop album that draws on elements of diverse Metal subgenres to create its own sound – it does not sound like To Mega Therion (Noise), and it would be foolish to expect it to. The argument that it is “not Metal” is equally silly, though – there is a solid core of accessible, polished, radio-friendly but still very “real” Metal running all the way through these songs. Big, tuneful and frequently very heavy riffs reference Melodic Death Metal, European Power Metal and the catchier side of Thrash with the confidence of musicians who very clearly understand those genres, and growled/screamed vocals interplay effectively with the three teenage singers.

Like all fusions, Pop-Metal only works if both elements are understood equally, and the triumph of Babymetal is that it marries the riffs and breakdowns of its Metal side with a flawless knack for how to write a Pop song. After the playfully pretentious intro, songs are paced with ruthless efficiency, structured around breathless choruses and cheeky key-changes lifted perfectly from the J-Pop side of their family tree. They’re also full to capacity with the quality that both Metal and Western Pop forget about too readily – joy. The elements of reggae, hip-hop and dance music (all translated through a J-Pop filter) are lacking the pretentious “wackiness” that such things often have, and feel like nothing less than the band having fun.

Looking back at Babymetal with the advantage of time and distance, most of the criticisms levelled at it are  completely irrelevant. Critics made a big deal of the band’s “manufactured” nature, but while it is true that the band and their music were assembled by a professional agency, this collection of almost perfect songs – played by skilled musicians who can replicate the results live and are clearly into what they’re doing – make it hard to remember why it was supposed to be a bad thing that they didn’t meet backstage at a Bathtub Shitter gig.

Equally pointless but far more sinister was the “Paedo-Metal” accusation that’s still bandied around by some of the nastier online critics. In a genre which has always struggled with the representation of women probably the best non-musical thing about Babymetal is how entirely unsexualised the girls are, and how innocent the pleasure they’re obviously taking in their job is. If you think that the presence of young Japanese girls makes something inherently sexual that’s your prerogative, of course, but you might want to ask yourself some serious questions about why.

Babymetal is, all hyperbole and controversy aside, a brilliant Pop Metal album.  It’s not for everyone – a quality that it shares with all “true Metal” – but it achieves what it sets out to do perfectly, and adds something truly worthwhile to the vocabulary of Metal.

 

9.5/10

Babymetal on Facebook

 

RICHIE HR


Wisdom In Chains – The God Rhythm


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Six albums in, and Pennsylvania’s Wisdom In Chains have hit the gas once more on the sprightly The God Rhythm (Fast Break!), delivering a definitive statement of classy punky melodic Hardcore. All the expected elements are expertly delivered, from “Oh-o-oh-oh’s” to breakdowns, and pacy three chord strumming to emphatic tunes, all played out with a sense of invigoration of a band at ease in their own skin, and their place in the musical world.

With the term “hardcore punk” being bandied around since the early 80’s, there is an acceptance that this is a fairly conservative scene – experimentation and progressive elements aren’t particularly prevalent – and there is a recognition that various tropes and stylings should be present, with success coming to those who do it well, do it best, and who do it true. With that in mind, it is refreshing to see Wisdom In Chains mix things up. While not re-inventing the wheel, or adding a host of tech-shit or unnecessary divergences to their sound, the depth to write and include the brooding ‘Mathematics’ and a five – minute thoughtful sample led melodic instrumental (the title track) to break up the album shows the quality and musical ability inherent in the quintet.

Vocalist Mad Joe Black leads with throaty melodic shouts – possessing good enough cleans to carry enough of a tune, particularly on the Sick Of It All meets Misfits barreling of ‘Best Of Me’ – and menacing on ‘Skinhead Gang’, a track that scoots into a welcome bass-led breakdown. Wisdom In Chains show their chops with the uptempo open chord driving hardcore of shout-a-long ‘When We Were Young’ and it’s reminiscing of all-night BMXing, with the crossover thrash of ‘Fatherless’, the pure Hardcore of ‘Violent Americans’, and while punking out with the well-intentioned ‘Joey Ramone’.

In true HC style, The God Rhythm doesn’t hang around, 14 songs, 37 minutes, a whole host of exactly what you expect, sprinkled with some shrewd deviations on the normal theme. Sitting pretty much in the centre-ground of popular Hardcore, stylistically, suits Wisdom In Chains, they can throwdown, holler, groove, breakdown to their heart’s content, all while keeping on keeping on.

 

7.0/10

Wisdom In Chains on Facebook

 

STEVE TOVEY


On The Road… with The Melvins and Le Butcherettes


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The Melvins are out on the road with another leg of their “Hold It In Tour”. Supporting their album Hold It In (Ipecac) from last fall, mainstays Buzz Osborne and Dale Crover are joined by JD Pinkus from Butthole Surfers. Not only did they play a set of songs from their collaborative album together, they played some choice classic Melvins material (‘Night Goat’, ‘Hag Me’, ‘The Bit’, ‘Anaconda’, ‘Sweet Willy Rollbar’), they also played some covers ranging from the Surfers to Pop-O-Pies. Joined by their label mates Le Butcherettes, who are fresh from their tour supporting Faith No More, it was a night of musical and mental twists and turns. Captured here by Melina Dellamargio of Melina D Photography at Club Congress in Tuscon, AZ The Melvins continue to surprise and delight after 30 plus years in the business.

 

The Melvins, by Melina D Photos

The Melvins, by Melina D Photography

The Melvins, by Melina D Photography

The Melvins, by Melina D Photography

The Melvins, by Melina D Photography

The Melvins, by Melina D Photography

The Melvins, by Melina D Photography

The Melvins, by Melina D Photography

The Melvins, by Melina D Photography

The Melvins, by Melina D Photography

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Warcrab – Ashes of Carnage EP


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It’s something of a chucklesome name in some respects: ‘Warsnail’ or ‘Warcod’, anyone?! There’s little humour, however, in the nastiness peddled by Plymouth, Devon sextet WarcrabAshes of Carnage, last year’s EP from the band, is an incendiary mix of Deathly Sludge, blastbeats and groove, topped with howling leadplay and fearsome vocals, and gets a label reissue here through Contagion Records.

The deep growl seeping through ‘Lay All to Waste’ covers a saw-rhythm riff, whilst the scream akin to a pig squeal adorning opener ‘In this Iron Tomb’ shows the contrasting vocal range and provides hostile variation. Brief explosions of Thrash-style soloing are another welcome diversion, as is the ability to switch rhythms on a sixpence and take the tracks into a bulldozing furrow. The savagery and frequent turns of speed are remarkable, given that the rhythm section carries the doomy weight of a dead herd of elephants: the quickened rampant battery of ‘Scourge of Usurpers’ still kicking the bass cans with alarming force, while the knee-buckling bounce of ‘Entombed in Flames’ is delivered with such booming ferocity you’ll envisage an accompanying mountain troll, ninja-moshing into the pit.

The closing title track is a marauding crush through a hammering death groove, that heavy-as-lead power coating it in joyous reverberation. With the added bonus of two tracks from their 2012 eponymous album (Independent release), this is a refreshingly brutal and infectious addition to the low-end canon, steeped in old school sensibilities, and is a deeply satisfying listen.

Beware the waking ‘crab…

 

7.5/10

Warcrab on Facebook

 

PAUL QUINN


High on Fire – Luminiferous


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I don’t know about you, but, I turn into a kid on Christmas morning whenever a band I love announces a new album so I’m sure you can imagine the sheer joy that consumed my being when I finally got my greedy little paws on this gem. Friends, she is a beauty. If I could get away with just transcribing my excited squeals and witch-like cackling as I listened to this album, I would.

In all seriousness, stoner metal masters High on Fire return this summer with the highly anticipated Luminiferous (eOne) and it is worth every penny. Luminiferous is both strange and different and yet fits into the band’s prior body of work very well. ‘The Black Plot’ and “The Sunless Years’ are have been fantastic singles but can we just talk about the gift that is ‘Carcosa’ for a second? This track has been one of my favorites from the beginning. It’s heavy and filled with hypnotic riffs and a beautiful guitar solo that just completely draw you in.

‘Slave the Hive’ is an absolute shredder with its quick tempo and Jeff Matz’s throbbing bass lines. You can just tell that this is going to be one of those songs where you can feel the bass weaving its way through your bones and organs. Yes, please. This track takes the concepts of the hive mind and sheeple created by society and the mass media and puts them to music. The end of the song is almost a bit unnerving as it is punctuated by the faintest laugh just before it ends.

Des Kensel’s pounding drums open ‘The Dark Side of the Compass’ and what seems to be a tribute to the Bermuda Triangle. There are so many bands out there that only write songs about their love lives or childhood that I find it refreshing when someone does something different. Tell me about aliens and weird stuff and the mysteries of the universe. With its lyrics referencing lost ships, portals, and the supernatural as a whole, I know what to listen to the next I find myself flying over the Devil’s Triangle again next year. If I’m going to die, it’s going to be with Matt Pike crooning in my ear.

‘The Cave’ is easily another favorite of mine, even if it is soft and slow compared to the rest of the album but that’s precisely why I find myself drawn to it like a moth to a flame. I’m not usually a fan of ballad-esque songs as they tend to be far too cheesy for my liking but ‘The Cave’ is genuine rather than feeling forced. There is so much emotion contained in this song that it is almost palpable and I really enjoyed seeing this other side of the band. You can keep your ‘Nothing Else Matters’ and its millions of clones, I’ll take ‘The Cave’ any day.

L to R: Des Kensel, Matt Pike, Jeff Matz. Photo Credit: J. Hubbard

L to R: Des Kensel, Matt Pike, Jeff Matz. Photo Credit: J. Hubbard

Luminiferous is, at times, both lighter and heavier than previous albums and the risks that the band took when putting it together have paid off. I’ll leave my personal interpretations out of this but the English major in me just wants to sit around and discuss lyrics, connections, and themes for a few hours. The boys have put out one monster of a record and, if you couldn’t tell by now, I am extremely pleased. Don’t drink the Kool-Aid, get yourself a gallon of Pike Juice instead and keep an eye out for an upcoming tour date near you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qncjyyQ6nA

8.5/10

ALEIDA LA LLAVE


Gyre- Morai


Gyre - Morai album cover 2015

If you don’t know who Gyre is already, no worries. You’ll know them soon enough.

This potent New York/New Jersey quintet musical abilities suggests that they grew up on a steady diet of Metallica’s …And Justice For All, Mastodon’s Leviathan and near an open vat of gamma radiation. They like to pummel and thrash while keeping a high standard of technical proficiency.

Formed in 2011, these tri-state area dudes have stayed busy as Morai is their third release in that 4 year span. While Morai is technically an EP, its 36 minute run time and wall to wall cramming of riffs make it feel more like an LP. ‘Manifest’ gets to a running start with punishing groove and hounding pace that has recalls Gojira or Sylosis. It’s immediately followed up by ‘I Release’ which is the kind of thrash exercise you would’ve expected from Trivium if they hadn’t been led astray by commercial success and polished David Draiman productions.

If Gyre is about anything, it’s about that shred life. Whenever a song feels like its losing momentum you can count on Juan Soaz and Chirag Bhatt to come in and make it rain exquisite leads and solos. Title track and album closer ‘Morai’ takes a while to get where it’s going, but once there it’s quite a bit of fun as Soaz and Bhatt work effortlessly of one another. And that’s not to say that bassist Ian McCartney doesn’t get his licks in as you can appreciate his work in the mid-section of ‘Behind the Eyes.’

The clean singing can run the gamut from adding a new dynamic layer (‘Manifest’) to feeling completely unnecessary (the tail end of ‘Morai’). Actually the vocals as a whole are the department where they sound the least confident. Frontman Ying Chee’s growls are serviceable, but feel undistinguishable from so many other howlers in the game today. I’d certainly like to see the vocals be on par with technical wizardry from the other players in future releases.

While some small shortcomings keep it from being truly elite, Morai is a strong metal showcase from a very young band. The kind of effort that lets you breathe easy regarding the future state of metal and forget those who fell short of their potential.

9.0/10

HANSEL LOPEZ